Lawmaker slams removal of flags from Russian diplomatic missions in US

Russian flags were removed from the buildings of Russia’s trade mission in Washington and the Consulate General in San Francisco

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MOSCOW, October 12. /TASS/. Chairman of Russia’s State Duma (lower house) International Affairs Committee, Leonid Slutsky, has described the removal of the Russian flags from the Consulate General in San Francisco and the trade mission in Washington as a provocation.

"The removal of the Russian flags from the Russian diplomatic facilities in the US is yet another destructive step in the diplomatic war that was unleashed by the administration of the previous US President, Barack Obama. Such moves are an outright provocation," he told reporters on Thursday.

"The State Duma expresses its full solidarity with the stance of our Embassy in Washington and the Russian Foreign Ministry who lodged a strong protest with the American side," Slutsky stressed. "I believe that the decision to postpone the State Duma delegation’s visit to the United States was the most adequate response from lawmakers in these circumstances."

On Wednesday, the Russian flags were removed from the buildings of Russia’s trade mission in Washington and the Consulate General in San Francisco. Russia’s Embassy in the United States earlier said it had lodged a protest to the US demanding the flags be immediately placed back.

Earlier on Thursday, the State Duma Council decided to postpone the parliamentary delegation’s visit to the US due to the present circumstances, the lower house of the Russian parliament said.